Calling in sick??

JeannaRN · Jun 8, 2007

WOW! Let me see-there's a nursing shortage--right??? You call in legitimately sick or your kid's sick. You even have notes from a Dr. You do not have a hx of calling in. And these shortsighted morons whose "expertise" is in healthcare terminate a good nurse.

There is not hope for US healthcare with this jacka$$es at the helm of the ship!

Atl_John · Jun 8, 2007

I am totally in shock after reading these posts. I just can't believe they would do that to you. WHY in the world would they want you around ill/weakened people if you are sick. God, thats a great way to increase your nosocomial infections in the hospital. Heres what you should do, the next time your sick, GO to work, go to the DON, and make sure you COUGH your HEAD off with the DON's door shut, get realllly close to her. Don't cover your mouth that well. Get her sick and then see how she feels about HER policy. God....what a crock of shitake mushrooms. What happened to sick leave??????? Did I TOTALLY miss something here???

jetscreamer101 · Jun 8, 2007

Flame if you must, but an absence is an absence. Doctor's note or not. Sick kid or are sick yourself. Our sick days are for an employee's illness only. I have children, older now, but when they were little I was lucky enough to find back-up sitters when they were ill, and if that fell through, hubby and I alternated who needed to call in. I don't want you to come to work sick, but for most of uss, our facilities are open 24/7. Someone has to be there.

Atl_John · Jun 8, 2007

Jet, I agree with you, sick leave is just that for you when your sick not for when your kids are sick. I just don't see why anyone has the right to say something to me if I'm using one of my benefits (sick days). We all get sick if your sick stay home if your not go to work. Excessive absences well thats different but a few a year come on........thats pretty ridiculous.

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2007

Ah, the FEDS.

I know, it is kinda sucky to have to invoke this rule - but, if you have a legitimate illness and an irrational employer...it IS you best protection.

FMLA will cover you or a family member in a variety of situations/illness. You can be covered for 1/2 days if you were taking your mom to chemo - you can take weeks off and your job will remain yours,

There are indications and limitations to it - the biggies that I recall tend toward #'s of employees/essential employees (right, like we all know who those are!). It is limited to use within specific time frames and must be documented as necessary.

I think that when you have to use it - it is a great protection.

It would be nice to think that our employers CARE and will be reasonable as it relates to our job, but this will help to guarantee it in covered situations!

FMLA SUCCESS STORIES (mine)!

* I fell while running on a Tuesday am, worked that pm. (Couldn't abduct my arm, but is that really necessary?). Slithered in and got an "unofficial" xray of my humerus that the ER doc and I both saw as negative. So I thought - SUCK IT UP, QUIT WHINING! Wasn't scheduled until that Friday - but I had developed a cough, felt very SOB, could not abduct my arm, felt what I thought was crepitus in my shoulder - but, I tried to soldier on! Woke up on Friday am and I knew that I would either die or get medical care pronto. Got into my GP, referred to Ortho and had a scapular fx with a 15% pneumo! The cough and 91% SaO2 were good clues. I was healthy, never smoked - so.... ONLY took me 3 days to admit defeat!

Anyway, my manager called me after I had called out with 4 hours notice and wanted to know if I could still come in and cover the desk. :nono:

NO.

I used FMLA to make sure that there would be no "miscommunication".

* I also used FMLA as a firefighter/medic for a 3 week "leave" to care for my dad. No problems or even a negative word from that - the city was very supportive. I only had to use "FMLA" as the leave was unpaid, as I had not accumulated the 168 hours necessary vacation/sick to take the 3 weeks off.

So, FMLA is there for a reason.

YOU and those you love are the REASON.

YOUR JOB is the reason - and FMLA may be the reason you keep it!

Jo Dirt · Jun 8, 2007

Flame if you must, but an absence is an absence. Doctor's note or not. Sick kid or are sick yourself. Our sick days are for an employee's illness only. I have children, older now, but when they were little I was lucky enough to find back-up sitters when they were ill, and if that fell through, hubby and I alternated who needed to call in. I don't want you to come to work sick, but for most of uss, our facilities are open 24/7. Someone has to be there.

I guess my name is Mudd. I agree with you. I understand people sometimes have issues and fall on hard times and may require extended absence. And yes, sick nursing staff is not good for patients, but if a person is sick enough to require excessive absences for themselves or their family (and there is no one to cover) health care may not be the right choice. Facilities are full-time around the clock and need to be staffed, and what's worse? Sick nurse or exhausted burned out nurse prone to making mistakes. Seems like being PRN it would especially be important to show up as agreed upon.

Jo Dirt · Jun 8, 2007

Jet, I agree with you, sick leave is just that for you when your sick not for when your kids are sick. I just don't see why anyone has the right to say something to me if I'm using one of my benefits (sick days). We all get sick if your sick stay home if your not go to work. Excessive absences well thats different but a few a year come on........thats pretty ridiculous.

I won't say a few a year is excessive, at the same time since I have been in the nursing profession since 2000, I have called into my place of work two times, and I'm not Ms. Health.

Atl_John · Jun 8, 2007

motorcycle.....I agree, short of me dying I go to work. I make my boss tell me to go home that way it doesn't look like I'm just making it up. If they see me looking like I'm gonna be the next one whos gonna code and they tell me to go the H home then I do.

Myxel67 · Jun 8, 2007

In my first year as a nurse, I got a cold that progressed to bronchitis and then to pneumonia. The cough was so horrible that I broke a couple of ribs. I was out from November 20 until after New Year's. However there was no problem with my job because they knew I was SICK. Eight years later I developed kidney stones (after 1 year 12 hr night shift). I had to use FMLA because the hospital would not let me work when I was taking Percocet for pain.

I have found that the hospital is harder on people who have lots of 1-day absences, or are absent an extra day at the beginning or end of scheduled time off. When someone is seriously ill, the length of absence has not been an issue.

SUNSFAN_RN · Jun 8, 2007

Ok, I was called in to my Director's office the other day, and she told me that I had called in 6 times since January, the last being early April. She said this was grounds for termination, but this all occurred before she took over our unit, and she knew I, nor anyone else, had ever been told about this policy, so she did not plan to terminate anyone over absenteeism, but I would be written up, put on "probation" and could not call in for 120 days and I would have to have a Dr. excuse for any abscence after that! Well, all of the times I called in were for my 3 year old son, we had just put him in day care at the first of the year, and he came down with everything, you name it he had it!! I also had a Dr.'s excuse from his pediatrician for every time, and I was told that an abscence is an abscence, whether you have a Dr.'s note or not, ummmm, but I have to have one if I call in again?? Well, right now, I am sooo sick, chills, fever, coughing, laryngitis.....and after much deliberation, I had to call in for my shift today!! I was going to try and make, but my husband could tell how sick I was and he said he would call, if I didn't!! I would just like some other opinions of this policy. I know I have missed alot of work, and may be let go after today, but I am a Per Diem employee, does that make a difference? I hope I get alot of feedback from you guys on here!!!

LuvTxNursing stated they were a per diem employee which means where I work the floor nurses who are per diem can self cancel with 2 hours notice prior to a scheduled shift with no penalties. Maybe your employer needs to look up the meaning of per diem. Good Luck. Mark

Kidrn911 · Jun 8, 2007

Listen to this, my husband and I work over an hour away from our children. My oldest daughter fell last at school required stitches in her knee and chin, huge lacerations. I could not leave work, God for bid if it would be counted at PTOU, 1 of 6 we have. My husband takes the train in. He came to the ER i worked to get the car keys to go take car of our daughter, this normally would have been much quicker. Well of course, I was taking care of a 2 month old with RSV that was trying to die. So when he came, I was in the trauma room helping intubate a child and he had to wait 45 minutesm for me to beable to leave, so I could give him keys, so he could drive over an hour to get to our daughter that needed medical assistance.

Oh, also the last two weeks I have been sick with a horrible case of Bronchitis, the ER docs were getting ready to hog tie me, while my coworkers were going to force an albuterol treatment down me. I felt really, really, bad about coming to work so sick, but when you can have only so many occurrences, you have to do what you have to do.

I just think it sucks. We work around sickness all the time, we are bound to get sick and then we get penalized for being sick.

Just my grouch

dream'n, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2007

Sorry, I work sick unless I'm absolutely on my deathbed. Can't help it. Seen employers penalize and fire employees way to often over calling in. I feel they leave us no other choice. I'll wear a mask or whatever, even ask co-workers to switch assignments. I have to have my job, I'm a little used to having a roof over my head and food to eat. By the way, those that have stated that parents shouldn't be able to use sick time for their children's illness', what do they suggest parents do?